


Turn around- Sweep Me off My Feet [Translation]

by atributetotheclassicmovies



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: M/M, Translation from Chinese to English
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-09-01
Packaged: 2018-12-16 00:59:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11817891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/atributetotheclassicmovies/pseuds/atributetotheclassicmovies
Summary: Arthur, who had just set up a company, was a 100% straight man. That was always his belief until he roomed with a kind and cute gay man Merlin. Everything had changed rapidly after that…





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> An English translation of victoriahsieh's wonderful story [Turn around- Sweep Me off My Feet 為你傾心 (AM)](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7154531?view_full_work=true)
> 
> Thank you so much for letting me translate your work! I love this story so much :)

Arthur, with his casual demeanor and easily acquired social skills, had never met such a huge drawback before. 

He screwed up a beautiful relationship, and he might never want to talk to him again. The thought of him with his back facing him, burying his exquisite face in another man’s hairy chest, black curls covering his long eyelashes, their friendship abandoned, and the two drifted further and further apart, made Arthur scared out of his wits. But nothing could compare to him being hesitated and did nothing but to let _HIM_ go.

Yes, as a 100% straight man, the one who billionaire Arthur Pendragon really cared for was actually another male; one with a strong sense of pride, yet innocent and somewhat foolish history lecturer.

Used to be the one in control of his life, this was the first time in which Arthur saw his love life tumbled and sank into an unpredictable and exciting whirlpool. This was completely different than what he had planned for his life.

 

Since his public school days, Arthur was known for his generous spirit and immense charm. His broad forehead made him looked imposing, and his blond hair and blue eyes highlighted his personality. A skilled polo player, Arthur was also a natural born leader. He easily attracted a group of underclassmen to follow him. When he started to work, he likewise attracted a group of elites to cooperate with him. The company could profit over ten million pounds each day.

However, all those advantages seemed to have no effect on the person he cared. Him being straightforward to an almost foolish degree, turned his head and walked away as if silently protesting how Arthur had behaved like a complete jerk. Arthur sighed and buried his head in his arms as he sat on the sofa in a dimly lit room wondering how to face Merlin, an extremely special person that was completely different than what he had seen before.

Their encounter was as coincidental as the Arthurian Legend.

Everything needed to trace back from a year ago. 

 

Trying desperately to escape his family and starting his own business, Arthur had his eyes on a cozy flat nearby his company, with classical Victorian style decorations. The pantry room and living room were shared, meaning that Arthur needed to share those spaces with his roommate during teatime. However, he wasn’t taken aback by that, since he already had the experience of sharing a dorm with six other students in his school days. He was actually tired of getting back to an empty mansion, so he immediately made a deal with the talkative landlady Mrs. Alice when he stepped into the room, but he wanted to meet his new roommate first. The other occupant taught history. As long as he was not a stern old scholar, or like his mean father who only cared about making money but nothing else, he already made plans to move in a week later.

He got his wish and met his new roommate soon after. To his surprise, he was actually a young man, maybe even a few years younger than him. He was slim and tall; this attractive lad could be seen as being born to teach history. “This is Merlin Emrys, and this is Arthur Pendragon.” Mrs. Alice introduced them to each other. Arthur looked at the man in front of him. He had beautiful features, and Arthur was drawn to him by his delicate cheekbones and the pair of deep blue eyes. 

The young man was temporarily startled when he saw Arthur. “The man on yesterday’s The Time’s financial headline had the same last name as you! And you two looked similar…” He’d never seen such a handsome man, like Apollo from Homeric Epic coming alive.

“That was my father.”

“Oh… but it’s neither modern nor spacious here, I thought the Pendragon wouldn’t want to live here.”

“Professor Gaius recommended this place. He said it’s convenient and nearby my office…” Arthur failed to mention that he wanted a flat that felt like home, and Gaius’ old friend Mrs. Alice had the exact place for him. 

Merlin seemed to understand and he was soon chatting with Arthur. Maybe it was because of being under the school’s simple environment, Merlin displayed his confidence and gracefulness adding some drops of innocence. He didn’t hesitate to show his hospitality. 

They were close in age. Merlin was two years younger than Arthur. He became a history lecturer for Professor Gaius in Cambridge after he graduated. He had a sense of bookishness that was different from Arthur who worked in business. They introduced themselves and talked about London’s horrible weather and that Real Madrid had just won the UCL. When Arthur mentioned he was ready for the contract and prepared to move in, the seemly kind-hearted Merlin hesitated. He cleared his throat, and said in a serious tone. “Um... Arthur, since we need to live together, for both of us’ sake, I think I need to tell you…” 

“What? Not that you sleepwalk during the dead of night or like to sing in the shower?” Arthur used his usual sense of humor to dissolve the slight awkwardness between them.

Merlin laughed and shook his head. Then he said very carefully. “It’s that… I like men.” 

“Well… I don’t see what your sexual orientation has to do with me moving in.” Arthur crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Unless you do not welcome me, I had already made a decision to move in.”

His childhood friend, Gwaine, who had the aristocratic title, was gay, and he and Arthur had been through a lot of ups and downs during their wild teenage years. Arthur didn’t feel the slightest bit of discomfort when Gwaine brought his boyfriend to the graduation prom, so he didn’t see any problems with Merlin liking men.

Merlin’s face brightened and little dimples showed up when he realized Arthur once again had thoughtfully used humor to break through the awkwardness between them. “Just want to make sure before you move in, you know… a lot of people ran away when they heard this.” Merlin shrugged his shoulder casually. “My last roommate was a girl, she didn’t mind these things, and was actually glad to have a special love life consular, and got married under my encouragement. But you don’t look like a girl, in fact, you’re more like those headline celebrities who hate sissies…”

“Hey! Don’t label me that fast.” Arthur wiggled his fingers to protest. “A gay roommate won’t bother me at all. I have gay friends myself. I don’t join those kinds of discriminated, extreme behaviors, and I don’t mind who you date. Let us live peacefully and enjoy our own lives.” He said firmly. He remembered sitting across the table with Gwaine and Percival when they were dating, witnessing their intimacy without flinching, rather than being a gentleman and displaying his openness. No reason Merlin would be an exception. 

Merlin glanced at Mrs. Alice, who picked up the phone in the next room. “Alright then, welcome to Mrs. Alice’s carefully cultivated home with three goods: good tea, good landlady, and good at sticking her nose out at other’s business, not in a bad way. You’ve seen her, a little bit pushy, but she makes good black tea, you’ll like it.” 

“It can’t be better.” 

“As we’ve already talked things over, I believe we’ll get along splendidly.” A sweet smile spread across Merlin’s face, and he held out his hand to shake with Arthur’s. The whole atmosphere had calmed down quite a bit. Arthur looked forward to enjoying living in a place full of the scent of rich black tea.


	2. Chapter 2

Very soon, Arthur began his life as a white-collar worker. His company was still in its infancy, so he was forced to work overtime every day accompanied with coffee and laptop. Eight o’clock at night, Arthur took seemly steady yet actually shaky steps when he walked up the stairs to his flat. Merlin sympathized Arthur, since his regular school schedule was the complete opposite to his. He always encountered Merlin in the hallway, freshly showered, when he prepared to enter his room. Merlin looked relaxing and moistened from the shower. He wore a thin bathrobe, whistled some kind of country tone, and prepared to make himself a honey milk tea before bed.

“Look at you, the black circles under your eyes almost cover up your handsome face.” Merlin teased Arthur one day when the latter got home exhaustedly. But he was so kind. He used a delicate teaspoon to made Arthur a cup of soothing herb tea, mixed with verbena, vanilla, and chamomile. After that, Arthur couldn’t sleep without a cup of Merlin’s tea. Merlin had helpfully remembered Arthur’s preference, and made a pot of tea to relax him when he got off work. The pleasant scent of bergamot allowed him forgot his tiredness and the smell of soap on Merlin’s body made him felt like coming home. 

“God, Merlin, this is amazing! I should hire you as our company’s special servant, and fire all my employees who can only make black coffee.” The pleasant scent made Arthur felt so relaxing, like a golden lion sun bathing under the wall, but he suddenly sat up straight. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean to offend you.” He remembered Merlin didn’t like him pulling ranks, and it was inappropriate of him to make such a joke. 

“That’s alright, I know you only said that because you really love this tea.” Merlin had this sunny smile on his face throughout. It was apparent that the one drinking the tea enjoyed it, and the one making it also gained happiness from the praises. “I won’t lie to you, this is actually my mother’s special recipe. When she came back from work, she always made this tea and shared it with my father.” Merlin’s mother used to work in a tea factory. She retired when Merlin became a lecturer. She sent some of the local food to Merlin from time to time, especially her homemade special spice tea. 

“Husband and wife drinking together, so now we’re a couple.” Arthur wasn’t sure where it had started, but besides genuinely enjoyed the tea, he didn’t forget to tease Merlin. “If your mother decides to sell the recipe, remember to sell the dealership to me.” 

“If one day, you really become my boyfriend. But before that, I’ll tell my mom to stay away from you as far as possible.” Merlin teased back.

“Don’t be so stingy, with me in charge, we’ll make a fortune.” Arthur joked. He was fairly sure of his own personal charm, even Merlin couldn’t escape from it. Teasing Merlin, and seeing his ears reddened from embarrassment had become his favorite past time recently.

“Oh, stop, I will believe it if you keep on like this.” Merlin protested weakly. His flushed earlobes were very attractive, even for Arthur, who had seen plenty of good-looking people. He must admit that Merlin had some sort of charm that was pure and natural. 

Arthur suddenly realized, he enjoyed being with Merlin and teasing him so much; it was completely different than the lonely life he had led before. However, the chemistry between them didn’t just come up right from the start. Merlin seemed to feel that way as well. He would make tea for Arthur who came home late that could help him relax. Arthur slowly started to rely on his kind-hearted roommate. It made his heart itched without bantering with Merlin for a few days. Every time he was released from his high-pressure work, he relied heavier on Merlin’s tenderness, like a king enjoyed his royal comfort when he sipped the tea made just for him.

With someone that was willing to listen and to talk to him, that was what Arthur looked for in a home. His father’s coldness towards him had gradually faded into the background. 

He was drinking Merlin’s special again, bathing with the feeling of freshness. Merlin was sitting right across from him, biting into his thick, sexy lips, ready for Arthur’s criticism. Arthur pointed at the cup of hot drink, and suddenly realized how clumsy words were. “Oh god, this is just too good.” 

“That’s because I added some love potion in it.” Merlin blinked. He learned fast, and he already knew how to use his own sexual preference to push Arthur’s limit. He was trying to make Arthur lost his footing. 

“Of course, that’s why it’s so good.” Arthur smiled contently, and didn’t realize that Merlin tilted his head to aside, scrutinizing him.

“Don’t you feel disgusting? A man confessed his love to you?” Merlin asked curiously.

“Nope, not at all.” Arthur said. He wasn’t offended in the slightest with Merlin’s jokily confession. 

“I’m glad to hear you said that. Although it was just a joke, most of the men would have an embarrassed and confused expression on their faces.” Merlin seemed to remember his previous awkward experiences, so he complimented Arthur some more. “You’re different from them.” 

“That’s because I was already under your spell and became your most loyal servant and lover.” Arthur pretended to act as a poet in the weekend play, using exaggerated tone to repeat the classic line towards the main female character. Merlin’s face reddened again; he hadn’t guessed that Arthur could use his confession to tease him. It was not until Arthur revealed his teeth and smirked when Merlin got caught from his joke, did Arthur laugh out loud and gained a few playful punches from Merlin.


	3. Chapter 3

Before Arthur started his own business, he was very close to his investment partner Mithian. She was a beautiful and independent girl. Like Arthur, she was also the child of rich parents and had her own ideas on investment and planning. They were in a pretty serious relationship when they were in college, but as time went on, their love became complicated and ended up separated. Outsiders still deemed them as a couple, and Mithian had tried several times to reconcile with him. But Arthur knew well that instead of being lovers, it was more suitable for them to be merely business partners. However, he wasn’t in a relationship now, so wasn’t eager to tell everyone that he was single.

Though they had already broken up, Arthur still invited Mithian, who was a designer, to look around his new home after work. It was natural that they encountered Merlin in the kitchen who was making herb tea. He wore a casual black shirt, pouring sugar into the tea with his delicate fingers like a magician practicing his magic. Arthur, with his formal suits, had suddenly felt his heart softened and decided to tease his cute roommate. He introduced the two to each other. “This is Merlin, my easy-going roommate, and this is Mithian, my exceptional girlfriend.” 

“Hello, Merlin.” Mithian’s fingers went over her curvy hair and greeted Merlin. 

The sudden appearance of Arthur’s girlfriend made Merlin full of shock, and his welcoming face changed suddenly. He twitched his mouth to force out a smile, managed to maintain his basic manner. 

“Mithian is here to look around my room.” Arthur said. His intuition told him that something was wrong by Merlin’s look. To avoid awkwardness, Arthur led Mithian to his room.

 

Merlin’s long eyelashes flattered and frowned deeply. His eyes displayed his sadness when he threw down the teaspoon, and his mouth twisted in sarcasm. He always knew Arthur was straight; born in an extremely wealthy family, which he couldn’t imagine, with Hollywood good look. Spending time with this gorgeous blond man all day, Merlin lost himself slightly, thought that it would be possible between them. But this was all wrong, the appearance of Mithian immediately smashed his romantic, yet empty imagination into pieces. Rubbing his sore eyes, Merlin knew he had almost sunk into the classic tragedy of falling in love with a straight boy. 

Merlin quickly adjusted himself; he wasn’t in too deep yet, so he was able to remain his politeness. Mithian with her gracious outfit, and a Chanel handbag that showed her top fashion sense, she was beautiful and Arthur was handsome; the two fitted perfectly together. Contrasted to him, who worked with dull scholars all day, and generally behaved clumsily. Merlin reminded himself that he should stop thinking too much. After staring at the pot of tea intended for Arthur after sometimes, he silently poured it down the drain.

Under his chaotic state, Merlin could only think of one reason why Arthur brought Mithian home. He should be a gentleman and try not to disturb them, so he thought of the best way to leave the place: he first told Mithian to stay as long as she wished, then took out Mrs. Alice’s cherry cake. While she praised the cake, Merlin looked at Arthur with the corner of his eyes, half helpless and half accepting the way it was, which made Arthur’s head throbbed.

He claimed that there was a literature gathering in Gaius’ house, and he needed to be there. He asked Mithian to make herself at home and wished them a great night. Without waiting for Arthur’s reply, Merlin went back to his room to put on his old jacket and left, leaving Arthur and Mithian alone. Before Arthur could wrap his brain around, Merlin had already closed the gate and walked out towards the garden.

“He seemed very nervous, were there any misunderstandings? Instead of spending a night with an opportunist like you, I would rather be with him.” Mithian teased, yet her eyes were full of expectations.

Arthur wasn’t sure whether he should argue when his ex-girlfriend compared him with his gay roommate, or should he be helpless against Merlin’s unusual behaviors. He didn’t understand the reason behind his actions, and a sense of irritation stirred up in him, with that unexplainable weirdness, like the time when he was being misunderstood by his polo coach in his teenage year. He couldn’t leave Mithian alone and called Merlin to explain that everything was just a joke, so the only thing he could do is to help her pulled out a chair and retreated back into the kitchen. He immediately spotted the uncleaned teapot which Merlin had left in a rush. The pot was warm with the faint scent of chamomile still lingered in it. He touched the round porcelain pot and stared into the dark alone.


	4. Chapter 4

After that event, Merlin mysteriously starting to avoid Arthur, he increased his stay in the bar and the time he managed school affairs, and often just disappeared without sight. He no longer concealed his social life, and naturally got along with the men he had met in the bar.

Arthur had already heard Merlin said that he had a few potential lovers. He didn’t see any problems in that at the point. But what he had heard and what he had actually seen were different. There were a few of them that Merlin was particularly intimate with recently, and he didn’t care to share his bedroom with them after all the late night talks and drinks. 

Arthur didn’t want to judge Merlin’s private life, since they had already made a deal not to interfere in each other’s affair, but he still felt the weirdness in his heart, like a huge rock pressing upon him. Even he felt strange: Merlin was kind enough not to let him witness any young men staying in the living room, sitting on Arthur’s leather sofa. At least Arthur didn’t detect any suspicious scent or sound. However, he still couldn’t help but eavesdropping to find whether there was weird noise (like moaning), and imagined whether the two of them had put their arms around each other intimately using some sort of behaviors that he had never seen to express their mutual fondness.

Sometimes even Arthur felt himself not exactly right. 

It was normal for an adult to have one’s own social life, and it wasn’t weird that Merlin had a slightly different kind. Basically, he couldn’t do a thing if Merlin chose to sleep with any one of them. After all, Merlin was a young, and much more handsome lecturer than any history professors. Although a bit clumsy, he had a great sense of humor, lovely eyes, and sensual full lips; it was natural to have a group of men that was crazy about him.

And he did bring his ‘girlfriend’ home, which meant Merlin, an adult, had the right to bring his men home as well. Arthur tried to be fair, and kept convincing himself to let it go, but on the emotional level, he was still brooding over the fact that Merlin no longer put him in the center of his attention.

He did think about whether it was because of that day’s joke which caused this peculiar atmosphere between them. Arthur tried to get off work early to try to talk to Merlin who would be in the kitchen, he looked relaxing when he was cooking. He wanted to ask what had happen that day; he and Mithian had long separated. But what was the use of explaining this to a gay man? So in the end, Arthur chose to stay in his office, working on his new project. Used to the business strategy, Arthur chose to lay low, and waited for further development.

 

On the other hand, Merlin, despite trying to avoid sinking in too deep, still felt this strong attraction towards Arthur whenever he saw him. Arthur was both a hunter and a prey, who showed this undeniable sexiness, like an alert lion waiting from a distance, not ready to hunt, but also like a lazy big cat, waiting for Merlin’s touch. They were silently playing a game of tag and pull, talking about the horrible weather, but ignoring the dark current underneath. None of them was willing to break the fragile peace.

He didn’t bring his dates back home on purpose to piss off Arthur; it was simply because he didn’t have enough money to spend a night with them in a luxurious hotel or dine in an expensive restaurant. There was one benefit with bringing his dates home, that was to remind himself not to cross the simple roommate relation between Arthur and him, since they came from two completely different worlds.

 

Facing the men appearing in his house, Arthur knew well that he should greet them like a perfect gentleman he was. That was basic manner, so he wouldn’t disgrace his prominent background. After that, it was important to avoid distracting the development of love, and stayed at his own room to prevent turning into a third wheel, thus interrupted the intimate atmosphere.

But Arthur found himself feeling angry when he saw Merlin laughing and joking with his date. Especially when Merlin made tea and his date invited him to join them. Even he wondered about his behavior: he unconsciously shook open the evening newspaper, pretended to focus on reading, but his arms were stiff and veins were popping up. It was like his encounters with business enemies. He looked cruel, rude and unapproachable. It was until he saw the shock expressions on Merlin and his date did he feel guilty. It was not like he hadn’t seen Gwaine acting intimate with other men, somehow, he was only harsher to Merlin’s dates.

Merlin’s date whispered into his ears before he left. “Your roommate is very handsome, but I’m afraid he’s a homophobic, you need to be careful.” Merlin looked at him stupidly and didn’t say a word.

He couldn’t believe his roommate suddenly became this cruel; he used to be open about this kind of stuff. Merlin, half confused and half expected, decided to reopen the conversation with Arthur: He had long admitted that he liked men before Arthur had moved in, so it was natural for him to witness some intimate moments between Merlin and his dates. He didn’t understand where those hostilities came from.

“Don’t be like that, Arthur. We’re roommates, and you know I don’t have a lot of places to go with my dates, so we can only come back home.”

Merlin had a point. Arthur was the one that should change his attitude. Even he himself felt sorry for behaving like an arse. He never treated Gwaine like that, but towards Merlin, it was as if he was against homosexuality.

While blaming himself, Arthur also felt happy that he became the center of Merlin’s attention again. He apologized for his behaviors and said that it wasn’t Merlin’s fault. It was him who had lost his footing, and looked like he had completely overestimated himself. “I thought I could accept rooming with a gay man, but you know it was kind of different talking to a gay man in a bar than having a roommate who is gay.” 

“I don’t know you have a problem adjusting?” Merlin crossed his arms in front of his chest. His blue eyes were weirdly deep and he seemed to accept Arthur’s apology for his misbehavior. It was like another lifetime for Merlin to look at Arthur straight in the eyes.

“Because they are not you, it felt weird with strangers appearing in our living room, please give me some time to adjust.”

Merlin sighed softly. “I need to step out early and start a steady relationship with a special someone. I hope you can realize this, after all, you already have a girlfriend, you should understand my feelings.”

_No, I can’t!_ Arthur looked at the cup of Ceylon tea Merlin made for him. It blended perfectly between the strong scent and the slight sweetness. Arthur only wanted to explain that he didn’t have a girlfriend, but he was afraid that Merlin might avoid him if he mentioned it again. Arthur had never felt so defeated before. It was the complete opposite of his usual pride self.

To calm things down, Arthur ignored his helplessness and showed his utmost sincerity. “It’s me who doesn’t understand myself. I swear I had never looked down on you.” Merlin’s face softened, so he continued to say. “I’ve never lived with a gay man before, so I don’t understand how it feels seeing two men dating in my home, but now I understand. Please give me some time, I promise I’ll slowly learn to accept it, okay? My dear Merlin.” 

“You lucky bastard.” Merlin didn’t have the heart to scorn the man that he had almost fallen in love with, so he temporarily accepted Arthur’s words. He sighed. “Alright, since we live under the same roof, we should of course forgive each other. I just hoped you’ll be more mature next time, and treat my friends like the way I treated Mithian.” 

Mithian again? What was wrong with Merlin? Arthur felt agitated again. The uncontrollable feeling of emptiness came up again and made him frowned, but it wasn’t wise to argue right now. Not wanting to push further, he looked at the man who was a bit taller than him. “You have my word.” 

Now he just wanted to go out and punched sandbags until he sweated out all the discomfort in his chest. He didn’t really care that he made a big fuss when Merlin took his dates home, but he really missed the easy banter and teasing between them. He knew he couldn’t blame anyone, since he was the one who broke the peacefulness, and made Merlin misunderstood.


	5. Chapter 5

Days had turned calmer, but Merlin still spent the majority of his time on his job and social life. His whereabouts were hard to grasp for Arthur.

Understood how Arthur must feel, Merlin only allowed other men to stay with him when Arthur was on business trips. He also gave up spending time with his dates at their shared spaces, such as the living room, making Arthur almost couldn’t detect there were guests. That way, it lowered the rate of Arthur saying something mean towards them. But this method only increased the amount of Arthur’s inappropriate imaginations. It made him wanted to break down the door and threw them out like a football when he thought of some nameless men and Merlin had sex in the bedroom and in the shower, stroking his smooth back and beautiful neck, disregarded the tea stain Arthur had made on the sofa, and crazily made love on it in all kinds of positions. Those were just Merlin’s casual lovers, and Arthur wasn’t sure how he would react when Merlin had his own boyfriend. 

This wasn’t how things should go, Arthur, the optimist, tried to mend his relationship with Merlin. He cleaned up their shared spaces like a professional servant, and sorted out Merlin’s mails. He could feel Merlin sensed the changes too as his attitude towards him softened, and he began to make tea for Arthur again whenever he came back from work. It all seemed to work out well, and their initial harmony was back. They helped each other and made their apartment more comfortable. Everything looked perfect. Only Arthur knew that there was still something that was slightly off. 

He kept on suppressing his dissatisfaction regarding Merlin seeking out his date in the bar. It felt like a bug kept biting into his aching heart. This kind of unexplainable feeling finally exploded like a hydro bomb when a man called Mordred came home with Merlin.

 

That day, Arthur got home early from his business trip, trying desperately to forget his failure to obtain the contract. He loosened his bow tie and put his key into the lock tiredly, ready to relax with a good cup of tea. But when he opened the door, he saw Mordred, the man he had met a few times previously, sitting on his favorite sofa, kissing Merlin passionately. Although Merlin was on the passive side, he seemed to enjoy it completely. Even the steaming teapot was forgotten on the table.

Arthur felt himself being poured with a bucket of ice water and immediately froze into a statue. It was too late when the pair found an extremely angry Arthur standing by the doorway.

Merlin didn’t seem to notice Arthur would be home early. He pushed back Mordred nervously and avoided looking into Arthur’s eyes. He looked embarrassed and shameful, and his reddened ears showed that he was being caught off guard by a person he knew. As for Mordred, he turned his head in confusion, surprised to see Arthur burnt with anger and hostility. Mordred had shoulder-length brown hair and light pupils; he looked a bit wild and unruly. He was about the same height as Arthur. He could be called handsome, but his current perplexing state made him looked a bit ridiculous.

“Remember where you are, stop flirting in other people’s house, understood?” Arthur threw his suit jacket aside with rage he didn’t know where it came from, like an angry lion trying to mark his territory.

“Arthur, please…” Merlin tried to control the already messy situation. In the end, he decided to leave Arthur alone, so he held on to Mordred’s hand. “My roommate is back, Mordred, let’s get out of here.” 

Arthur suddenly felt squeamish and knew that he was going to throw up. He ran to the sink and tried to vomit even though his stomach was empty. The strong acid made him tear up. He hadn’t been in such a mess after his mother had passed away.

When Arthur closed the tap, and slightly cleaned up his stubble face, he heard some noises from the doorway, and assumed that Merlin had left with Mordred, which made him felt a sense of lost. But surprisingly, Merlin didn’t leave with him, but sat at the same spot staring into space.

When Arthur covered his face with a wet towel and walked back into the living room, he walked past Merlin who was sitting on the sofa alone, his face flushed and avoided looking at him. Arthur felt his anger rising, so he just pretended that he didn’t see anything and walked back into his room, not exactly sure how to start a conversation with Merlin.

It was not until Merlin leaned on his doorframe, looking sad and lost, did they start to talk. “Give me a break… so you are the only one who can bring your girlfriend back, but I can’t?” He closed his lips tightly, inhaling a few times before opening his mouth. “Or you just hate me because I like men?” 

Buried his face in his palm and let go, Arthur continued this action for a few times, calming himself before he started to explain. “I don’t hate you, I acted like that simply because today was just awful, I couldn’t control myself… and turned my anger on you…” 

Merlin was the kind of person who was sweet and kind usually, but he could be extremely stubborn like now. “I thought we were friends… why don’t you just say that you don’t like me dating at home, and tell me to go to other men’s houses if we want to make out?”

“Friends?... Those men were your friends too, so you make out with any of your friends?” Arthur lost his control and said sarcastically, merely seeing Merlin kissing other men made him stopped seeing straight. The scene with Mordred kissing Merlin had become something of a provocation, and even the fair Arthur turned into a tyranny. 

“Arthur… you’re not the person I used to know, what happened to you?” Merlin wrung his hair painfully. “Roommates shouldn’t be like this, was it fun to see me sad?”

Arthur suddenly realized he had already crossed the boundary for a normal roommate. He was like an enemy in Merlin’s eyes now. He straightened up a little and continued. “I don’t want you to stay over at other men’s houses, that feels weird. I was being so dramatic because… this whole situation made me jealous…”

“Jealous of what? Jealous that I’m more popular than you, jealous that we’re capable of falling in love?” Merlin held on to his last bit of dignity. “I can’t believe you’re the same as those pig-headed fascists. You thought I should obey you, and follow you around like a loyal little pet. I have my own life!”

“I didn’t think that…”

“You didn’t think that?” Merlin added sadly. “Don’t say that I’m the only one who thinks we’re equal…” 

The usually mild Merlin went straight to the point. It was obvious that how he hated Arthur had behaved. This was the first time in which Arthur felt like a complete loser in his social life.

“This isn’t what I had in mind… I saw you kissed, and my mind turned blank, and everything just went out of control…” Knowing that if he didn’t start to mend their friendship, he would lose it. Arthur tried to clear things up. “I threw my jacket as to avoid myself to get up and punch Mordred. But I never behaved like that when I saw Gwaine kissed, I never felt uncomfortable…” 

“That’s enough.” Merlin rubbed his eyes with his palm. “I’m sorry to make you uncomfortable, now I finally know what you really think.” His eyes reddened and backed away a few steps. “I finally realize you’re no different than those homophobic…”

“Merlin…” Arthur never felt so helpless, not even when he broke up with Mithian.

“I’ll be at my friends’ house for a few days. Try to calm down.” Merlin pretended to be cold, but his slightly trembled fingers showed his vulnerability. He still expected a little from Arthur, and he was afraid that if he continued on, everything would burst like a bubble. Merlin would rather leave than hear something crueler from Arthur, at least they could remain their relationship on the surface and still pretended to be friends. 

So Merlin closed the door behind Arthur, like closing up his heart, to avoid further pain.

It broke Arthur’s heart when the door slammed shut. Leaving him feeling confused and messy. Arthur stood helplessly, cursing himself for being a complete jerk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy the story so far! Will post the last two chapters soon :)


	6. Chapter 6

Initially, Arthur had promised Mrs. Alice to take her as well as Merlin to shop at Tesco after he got back from his business trip, so the old lady wouldn’t have to use her umbrella as a walking stick and took the underground alone. But today, only Arthur appeared, wearing his cap and Ray-Ben sunglasses to cover up the dark circles under his eyes. He looked tired and it was obvious that he didn’t have a good night sleep. Mrs. Alice looked behind Arthur in confusion, and saw that there was no sign of Merlin. 

“Merlin hadn’t been back for two days.” Noticing her questioning gaze, Arthur, a head taller than her, explained sadly.

“What happened? Did you two get into a fight?” Mrs. Alice’s wrinkled eyes widened, showing her disbelief. 

“We had some misunderstandings, it was me who said something rude…” Arthur replied awkwardly as he turned his head and picked up his car key, not wanting to say more. “Let’s go.”

The Volkswagen drove out of the garage smoothly, on the way, even if Mrs. Alice were extremely oblivious, she could still feel the frustration surround Arthur. Something must be wrong since Arthur wasn’t usually moody. She couldn’t hold back anymore, and finally broke the silence. “Merlin is a stubborn boy, sometimes he couldn’t get a grip on things. I watched him grew up, he came to me for a lot of things…” Arthur used the corner of his eyes to look at her, while steering the wheels. She continued. “What happened between you two? Maybe I can be some help.”

After a long silence, like a hound dog which had lost its prey, Arthur finally admitted that there was a very big problem between him and his roommate. “I saw Mordred and him making out, I didn’t know why I was so angry… I shouted at him, so he left and didn’t want to come back.”

“God bless…” Alice didn’t conceal her shock, she knew Arthur was a gentleman and was polite to the elderly. 

“I know… even you think I’m a jerk. I already accepted when he confessed to me that he liked men, but I still said that.”

“You might be a jerk alright, but nothing can compare to Mordred!” Alice raised her chin, seemed to be trying hard to remember something. “I heard the name before, that man is evil.” She pointed at a flat across the street. “Look at that one with the red roof. Sefa, the girl who lived there told me. She was once a captive to Mordred’s love! Merlin was smart, brilliant, and good-looking, how can he be so blind…”

“What? Mordred is this kind of person?”

“That’s right. He attracted a lot of people with his light blue eyes, not sure how many people had already got caught in his trap. He gambles a lot, and is in a lot of debt, so he borrows money from the people he is in a relationship with… look at poor Sefa, her credit was broken with all those banks coming up demanding her to pay.” She looked at Arthur seriously, seemed to hope that he would be able to help Merlin to get rid of Mordred. “Can you save Merlin? To help him escape that devil?”

“I don’t think I have the right. I said I didn’t feel comfortable seeing them kiss.”

“You said you didn’t feel comfortable seeing Merlin and him kiss?”

“Yes, I saw my mate kissing his boyfriend before, but I never felt like that. And I vomited after that, and was angry with what they had done in the house.”

“Oh, you foolish child! You didn’t regard Merlin as a mate.” Alice cleared up her thoughts. “Think about it, it’s rare for someone to vomit due to anger, this was quite a complicated emotion, you said you weren’t like that before…” 

“Never. I was always very polite to gay people, but I totally lost it when I saw Merlin and Mordred together…”

“If it’s so special for Merlin, haven’t you thought that maybe it’s because you had fallen in love with him?” Alice’s conclusion was unexpected.

A sharp halt, and the tires screeched sharply on the asphalt road. Alice felt her heart had almost pounded out of her chest. She gave out a yelp. Thank god the car didn’t slip, but slowly stopped followed by an unbearable noise. Arthur’s bang covered his eyes because of the speed. His mouth widened and suddenly understood as he repeated her words. “Fallen in love… with Merlin?”

“We almost had heart attacks… haven’t you thought that you might be in love with Merlin, so you have this kind of jealousy and possessive feeling?” Alice said sourly. Kids nowadays had such a low-pressure point, how could he just step on the break like this? What would he do if he were the one that was under The Blitz during World War Two? During that time, she had steadily controlled military Jeep’s steering wheel and took Gaius and herself safely to the air-raid shelter. Luckily both of them had their seatbelts on. 

“I never thought Merlin could be my love interest, I don’t know…” Arthur lost his usual composure, like a twelve-year-old young boy eagerly waiting for guidance. 

“It wasn’t too late to realize that. This can explain why you felt so angry. It was because of the possession coming only from love.” Alice knew that he was thinking about her words. She didn’t mention that Arthur’s eyes had already revealed some hints when he mentioned Merlin. They were something deep, something with passion, heartbreak, and desire. She never saw a man revealing such emotions in his eyes when he mentioned his mate. For Arthur, Merlin was that special. “Dear, you might not be as straight as you think…”

“So, I love this guy…” Arthur stroked his bottom lip and mused. Merely thought of Merlin’s back facing him, pouring down the herb tea, made his heart broke with bittersweet, yet there was also a sort of tenderness that was like Merlin had cast a spell on him.

“Beat Mordred, and win Merlin back. He deserves better.” The old lady pulled Arthur’s hand over, and patted it in encouragement. “I know this must be hard for you. But Merlin is loyal and thoughtful, he would do anything for you. If you don’t mind he’s a boy, go get him.”

“So I do love him, how can I never think of that?” Arthur suddenly realized. He remembered Merlin once said that she liked to poke her nose in other people’s affair, but now, he really appreciated that she did.

“He’ll be the best partner you had ever met. A person that can bring you a real home, a home with meanings, not just a luxurious and pretentious architecture.” Mrs. Alice understood that after Arthur’s mother passed away, he had always lived in a beautiful, but empty mansion, even the beauties and rare collections in it couldn’t fill up the emptiness in his heart. “You came to my place to find the feeling of home, luckily, now you find a person that will be building it with you…”

“I need to get Merlin back…” Arthur buried his messy blond hair in the steering wheel, unable to move for a long time. “He truly builds the home I always want, but I hurt him…” He felt extremely shameful.

“You need some time, but don’t worry, everything will work out fine.” Mrs. Alice opened the door and walked out of the car. “Never mind, boy, I forgive you, since you were clearly in shock at that moment. Allow me to drive you to the mall instead.”


	7. Chapter 7

Finally figured himself out, Arthur decided to find Merlin and explained the whole situation clearly. He spent two days waiting on the pathway of Cambridge, witnessing the change of scenery, yet Merlin was still nowhere to be found. Moreover, he was being recognized by some of the students and teachers with his blond good look. To avoid causing any troubles for Merlin, Arthur decided to change his tactic, and to wait for him in the gay club that he frequented. Arthur hoped he would be able to find Merlin, and apologized for his recent behaviors for causing misunderstandings. 

Ordered the most expensive and fashionable black leather jacket online, Arthur arrived at the gay bar late at night. With his strong chest, bright blue eyes, and a straight nose, he attracted a lot of men who were interested in him. Arthur pushed their bodies away impatiently and rejected their dance invitations. He finally realized how special Merlin was to him: the only man that made his heart skipped a beat, that clumsy and silly man. Fortunately, it was not too late to realize that.

The loud Reggae music accompanied with men’s passionate yet not exactly graceful moves on the dance floor; Arthur caused a glance at the fleshes pressed against each other at the corner. He knew this was completely different than what he had perceived in his life, but if that was Merlin’s old world, then fine, _he is in_.

On the third day, Arthur finally found the man he was looking for. Merlin looked relaxing and tender in the bar, a loose white shirt hung on his skinny shoulders. He sat at the bar accepting the rum from the bartender; his unique quality made him set apart from the rest of the environment. This made Arthur felt extremely glad: He was here to take Merlin home. This wasn’t the place for him. Merlin was more suitable staying in their shared flat, with the cozy feeling and the pleasant scent of all kinds of tea. Talking about scent, Merlin would definitely be the combination of lavender and mint, so he didn’t fit in a room full of strong alcoholic beverages.

But things never went according to plan. While Arthur was walking towards Merlin, ignoring the loudness from the dance floor and the men’s murmurs, he saw a distasteful man sitting beside Merlin, his arm went over Merlin’s shoulder. It was Mordred, the one that Mrs. Alice had mentioned about.

Need to separate them, Arthur thought.

Crossed the crowd and walked over them with steady steps, Arthur grabbed Merlin’s arm. Merlin was caught completely off guard when he found it was Arthur, and his face turned rigid.

“I have something to say to you.” Arthur leaned into Merlin’s personal space. He needed to be the one to act first, or else it was impossible to persuade the stubborn Merlin to go with him.

Merlin’s face looked troubled, and a bit uneasy. Mordred got his cigarette out of his mouth and extinguished it. “He doesn’t want to go with you.”

“No, he will.” Arthur’s light blue eyes displayed his magnificent power, accompanied with deep passion. He looked at Merlin with subtle pleading. “You’ll come with me.” For Merlin, this kind of pleading was the hardest for him to resist. His pupils dilated, maybe with a hint of excitement in them.

Arthur looked different today. His different clothing attracted Merlin’s attentions, strange, but full of charm. “I’ll be back soon.” Knowing he couldn’t leave Arthur alone, Merlin gave up. He pushed off Mordred’s arm around his shoulder and followed Arthur. This action angered the brown-haired bloke, who found he couldn’t control Merlin completely. He grabbed Arthur’s wrist harshly. “Why should he listen to you? Why should you always be the first? You bastard is straight, you can’t give him anything.”

This time, Arthur ignored Merlin, shook off Mordred’s hand. He used his most aggressive way to retaliate. “Because I’m his boyfriend, understood?”

Their argument silenced the whole bar. Merlin opened his mouth in surprise, unable to utter a word. 

“You’re not his boyfriend…” Mordred attempted to squeeze out the words from his mouth.

“Don’t think I don’t know your trick. Remember what you got before you come to face me. If you dare to touch one of Merlin’s fingers, or hurt him in any way, I’ll hunt you down, tear you into pieces, and make you regret to ever been born in this world.”

Merlin was still in shock, even Mordred’s words ‘You’ll pay for this’ didn’t get through his ears. Arthur pulled him out and ignored the whistles from the crowd as they made for the door.

“Why did you lie like this? We’re never in a relationship.” When they arrived on the quiet street, Merlin asked breathlessly as he batted Arthur’s hands away. Merlin was kind, but that didn’t mean he had no temper.

Even though Arthur was a skilled businessman, he still felt very nervous under this circumstance. His tough exterior started to crumble, and Merlin could sense that Arthur was serious. He swallowed hard without joking at all. “I’m not lying… Merlin, I meant everything I said.”

“You mean it?” Merlin wasn’t completely in sync with him.

“Yes, I want to be your boyfriend.” Arthur poured it all out. He didn’t look high and all mighty right now; his eyes showed his anxiety waiting for Merlin’s judgment. It made Arthur felt like a five-year-old little boy, waiting for his father to come home.

“Is this some kind of joke?” Merlin trembled, and looked dumb-founded. If this was a joke, this must be the meanest joke ever. Merlin felt himself as a helpless goat, trapped in a giant net that the hunter had spread down.

“Merlin, listen to me…” Arthur inhaled deeply, and decided to confess everything. “Mithian is not my girlfriend. In fact, I had already fallen in love with you. I need you to come home with me.”

“Last minute you were straight, and now you said you like me…” Merlin back away a few steps as if he could escape anytime. His voice became uncertain. “What idea are you having this time…”

“I was surprised at first, but I finally understood where that anxiety came from seeing you with other men.” Arthur was afraid Merlin might run away, so he held on to his arm, repeated the conversation between him and Mrs. Alice. He had never had any experiences falling in love with the same sex, so he had this kind of jealousy that was interpreted as homophobia by Merlin.

“So a straight man, the famous Arthur Pendragon is in love with me…” Merlin loosened his fist, feeling unbelievable as if he had just won a jackpot. 

“Even I can’t believe it… I’m too insensitive…” Arthur touched his head, made him looked kind of stupid but cute.

Seem to remember the time he met Arthur’s girlfriend, Merlin was afraid that his heart would break into pieces again. He didn’t want to experience falling wrongly in love with a straight man the second time. “How are you going to prove that me? Can you kiss me like no one is watching?”

The minute Arthur met Merlin, he wanted to kiss him; he needed this too much. He pressed very close to Merlin, feeling his body heat radiated towards him. But he was also a bit scared, because the only experience he had with same sex’s bodies was the horseplay in the locker room after polo games. He had heard that some people realized they still couldn’t sleep with same sex when they stripped off their clothes. 

But he had no time to care for that, he carefully cupped Merlin’s face, aiming his lips. Both of them were somewhat nervous. His heart pounded and sped up, almost jumped out of his chest.

Merlin wasn’t any better. His face was beet red waiting for Arthur to cross over the boundary of simple friendship. He closed his eyes shyly when he felt the heat from Arthur’s breath, waiting for his hot, wet lips. This action encouraged Arthur, and he used his thin lips to carefully cover Merlin’s warm one, using a tender way like never before to gently suck on them.

Wait for Merlin to relax, Arthur moved his hands downwards, and held on to Merlin’s thin waist. Compared to women’s, he didn’t have breasts, but it felt surprisingly good with Merlin’s flat chest pressing against him. 

Not too long later, the two of them found Arthur’s groin had hardened, and was threatening to burst out. Merlin melted into Arthur’s arms shyly accepted the change in Arthur’s body.

There was nothing to learn afterwards. Arthur trapped Merlin between his legs, using his groin to get the fraction, making Merlin cried out, and arched into him. While Merlin’s lips parted in surprise, Arthur stuck his tongue into Merlin without asking for permission. 

When they were all tangled up from tongues to legs, Arthur nearly left him up and kissed him roughly against the wall. All he thought of was why he never had this before? This felt amazing, sparkling and passionate, better than any physical contacts he had with his past girlfriends. 

All the insecurities and anxiety were gone, the only thing left was Arthur holding his Merlin and kissed him; it showed that he wanted him all along.

When they parted breathlessly, Merlin’s ears were all red due to shyness. Arthur asked. “How about that?”

“It’s unbelievable.” Merlin murmured. “I actually kissed in public, with a straight man…” 

And their body fitted perfectly together.

“If we’re not in the red-light district, I actually want to kiss you deeper.” Arthur didn’t want to get away from Merlin, but finally left him to look at his reaction.

“What do you want to do about this?” Merlin pointed at their hard-ons innocently. “Maybe I can help you, with my mouth…” He finished red-faced, and kneeled down to start to unbuckle Arthur’s belt. 

Although it would definitely be an excited and alluring idea to have sex with this little cutie pie right in the alley, he was here to confess his love, not to find someone to bed with. He could get as many bedmates as he wanted. “No, Merlin!” He ignored his almost painful erection and held Merlin up. He wanted to hear Merlin’s answer first. After that, he would push him against the wall, bit his earlobes until it left bite marks, and entered him to show the whole world that Merlin was his. “Tell me if you want to be my boyfriend first, Merlin Emrys?”

“You want a poor, homosexual lecturer to be your lover?” It was hard to concentrate when his brain was a mess, especially when Arthur’s lust-filled eyes were staring right at him. But via Mithian, Merlin had seen the upper world Arthur was in, and that was a place he didn’t understand, so he struggled as to whether to give up his heart to him.

“I can’t help it, I was already in love with you.” Arthur wasn’t the one that halted his actions. He leaned in and kissed Merlin again, then down through his sideburn, neck, using the way he felt sexiest to destroy the other’s rational mind. “Who cares about class, they can all go to hell.”

“Oh, Arthur, I can never imagine that you’ll fall in love with me.” This time, Merlin no longer struggled, openly gave out everything he had. Ever since he met Arthur, he started to search for something from his date: more generous than Arthur, more thoughtful than Arthur, kinder than Arthur. Every time he had a date, he always compared them with his unavailable roommate: if they could have one tenth of Arthur’s humor, one tenth of Arthur’s reliability, and one tenth of Arthur’s built, that would be perfect. When he kissed or touched, the blond’s face would always appear. He felt ashamed thinking about his roommate in such a dirty way. He couldn’t maintain a long enough relationship, because he kept on searching for something from them that could remind him of Arthur. Sleeping next to him, Merlin often thought of Arthur at night as he touched himself. Sometimes he hoped he wasn’t that clumsy, so perhaps someone looked like Arthur would want to have sex with him.

But out of all those misfortunes, there was one thing. Arthur, his love sample had confessed his love to him.

“Isn’t life full of surprises?” Arthur finally returned to himself, looking like a prat he always was.

“But Mordred…” Was being left in the bar.

“Fuck Mordred!” Arthur told Merlin what Mrs. Alice had warned him about Mordred. “I’m so worried, afraid that you might be his victim, losing everything you have to him…”

Merlin smiled. His smile was like the summer breeze, fountain in the valley, which made Arthur felt refreshed and content. “Promise me one thing, and I’ll be your boyfriend.” 

“Anything you want. Do you want me to put on a piece of armor and play King Arthur, standing under Cambridge’s apple tree, declaring that ‘King Arthur and wizard Merlin are a couple’ under the witness of media and all the faculties?” 

His usual humor made Merlin laughed. He said tenderly. “I’m not like you who is used to be under the spotlight, and I’m not as shameless as you. I don’t want to be famous like this.” He kissed the tip of Arthur’s nose. “I got my certification as a perfumer for tea.”

“Congratulation!” Arthur was sort of surprised, but to be honest, this shy history lecturer was really good at making tea. He already missed Assam tea’s multiple layers taste.

“From now on, you’ll be the first to taste my tea. Recently, I tried to put clove, tangerine, and cinnamon together, combined with Darjeeling, which came out as a spicy and exotic tea. I sent one box to my mother, and she said that was a total failure; she nicknamed it as ‘punishment tea’. I’ll accept you if you try my tea.”

“Glad to do so.” Arthur held him closer. 

 

After that, they went hand in hand to the most expensive hotel in the district, ignoring the receptionist’s knowing gaze and reserved a honeymoon suite. Arthur took out his credit card and quickly paid the bill, that was him for being a boyfriend: he didn’t want to think back and remembered his first time with Merlin was in an unsuitable, and unromantic dark alley.

They finally got out of the elevator and into the room. They used the fastest speed to undress themselves, shirts, jeans, followed shoes and socks. This time, Arthur pressed Merlin firmly under him, gentle yet adding a bit of roughness as he entered him without hesitation. All of their senses became alive where their bodies pressed close together. Arthur could have never thought of the way Merlin was during sex. He tried to gain control, but also begged and asked for more. He was more like a bold and needy little slut than the innocent-looking boy Arthur had always known. Merlin moved his hips impatiently, riding Arthur and moaned out his name, until Arthur came, calling out. “God, yes… yes…”

The rain fell, yet the window divided Merlin and Arthur from the outside world, who were asleep in each other’s arms. The scent of lovemaking in the room had slowly dissipated. Arthur pulled the deeply asleep Merlin closer, even though he was sticky, he felt extremely satisfied.

When Merlin woke up, Arthur prepared to tell him that he wanted to live with him, enjoyed the pleasant smell of tea all day long, experienced life with him. Although Arthur was new to the whole gay business, it would be hard to open up to his family and friends. But if those were the prices he needed to pay in order to win over Merlin, Arthur would be willing to accept those challenges. These little things meant nothing to him if he could get Merlin’s love.

Merlin was home. 

 

\- The End -


End file.
